Guardian Angel
by liquidity
Summary: Lukka. Wakka and Lulu confront the demons of their past, and their inhibitions about the future.
1. Fear

DISCLAIMER: I do not own Final Fantasy, Final Fantasy X, or any of the lovely characters depicted in my little fanfiction here (though I do wish Wakka and Lulu belonged to me). All that good stuff belongs to Squaresoft.  
  
Author's Note: So there's chapter one! This is my first fanfiction on here, not to mention my first 'fic about Final Fantasy, so I hope I did good! This is a little romantic 'fic about Lulu and Wakka, or a "Lukka" 'fic. They're my favorite two characters in Final Fantasy. Period. And I seriously think they'll hook up eventually. This is just the first of several chapters, so bear with me. This will cover a broad range... drama, angst, fuzzy romance, and likely even some juicy stuff. Stay tuned. Since my computer is being a big meany and won't allow me to make an HTML file, thoughts will be in parenthesis and accented words in caps... instead of italics. Not as pretty, I know, but it will suffice. Many thanks to Talono, who helped me with the general ideas for this story, and his suggestions. This story takes place sometime after the party visits Guadosalam, yet sometime before the final showdown with Sin. Enjoy.  
  
GUARDIAN ANGEL - Chapter One: Fear  
  
It's funny... when your mind wanders. You sometimes dwell on the "what ifs" of life. Sometimes they nag at you when you least expect it, if you pay them any heed. If you let them in, then... sometimes you begin to want them to be real.  
  
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The beach of Besaid was a spectactular sight in the morning. As the sun rose higher in the sky, the brilliant rays of golden light showered onto the water, creating a dazzling reflective light show. It was here that Lulu sat parked in the white sand, not quite watching the natural beauty of the island on which she was born. Her eyes were closed to the day, satisfied with merely listening to the sound of the waves crashing against the shore. The shade of a nearby palm tree gave her delicate ivory skin some protection from the powerful rays-- not that she ever burned, or even tanned, once in her life. She was here without her companion today, meaning she had left her stuffed doll at home in her hut when she went for a walk upon waking.  
  
Her unorthodox attire seemed unsuited for the tropical climate, and certainly not for sitting on the beach... her trademark heavy gown, with leather and fur, didn't look like the most sensible thing in the world for her to wear. Nonetheless, the mage never gave complaint of the heat or changed her wardrobe, appearing more comfortable in this outfit than other Besaidian women seemed in their lighter, more colorful clothing. Lulu had surrendered to her carefree, Besaidian upbringing in one way today, though. She had removed her small pair of leather boots, and had even taken off the silky black thigh-high stockings she always wore... in favor of doing something she couldn't remember doing since childhood... wiggling her toes in the sand. The silent guardian appeared to be in deep contemplation, as she often was, until...  
  
"'Ey, Lu!" A cheerful voice came floating across the warm island breeze to the black mage's ears.  
  
Deep sepia eyes fluttered open as she heard him. That masculine voice with the distinct accent was unmistakable, even had he not used her fond childhood nickname. "Good morning, Wakka," she spoke softly, not bothering to turn to him.  
  
The blitzball player approached Lulu, a rather silly grin spread from ear to ear. As she glanced up at him, she noted the ball tucked under his arm and beads of water glistening off his skin and his yellow blitz uniform. "Been swimming, have you?"  
  
He spun the ball expertly on the tip of one finger. "Yeah... practice, ya?"  
  
She already knew this, of course. Blitzball was the thing that always managed to make Wakka look like a giddy little boy. Her face remained expressionless, save for the slightest hint of amusement behind her eyes at his antics. He seemed so excited, so passionate whenever he spoke of the game... Lulu almost envied him for it. Almost. She sometimes wished she had something to be as passionate about... like Wakka had his blitzball.  
  
Wakka carelessly plopped himself down in the sand next to where Lulu sat, effectively sprinkling droplets of water on her. "Wakka!" It was said in a mixture of surprise...and perhaps a little amusement.  
  
"Eesh... sorry, Lu." Wakka was afraid he had made her angry again. He didn't want her to be angry with him just now. Anytime but now.  
  
"...It's alright, it's just water," she assured him. Looking up into his face, she noticed his brow was furrowed, and a slight flush of crimson was on his cheeks. (Is he... embarrassed?) That was odd... usually Wakka could brush off his clumsiness with a smile. That somewhat disturbed her. "Wakka, are you alright?"  
  
Hazel eyes would open a little wider at this query. Lulu never appeared concerned about him before... his discomfort must have really been obvious. Today was just full of unexpected reactions for each of them, he supposed. He consciously adopted a sheepish grin and his hand left the blitzball on the ground in favor of scratching the back of his head. "Eheh... I just didn't want you to get mad, ya?"  
  
"Why would I be mad? It was an accident." To Lulu, this was the obvious thing to ask... she didn't let things get to her, he knew that. Even if she appeared distasteful of others' actions on occassion... well, it was really all the time, to put it realistically.  
  
"No, Lu... it's not that, ya? There's something I want to talk to you about... it's just something I'm not sure if I should bring up or not..." He gave her a sidelong glance, avoiding direct eye contact with the mage's own penetrating gaze.  
  
"Well why don't you try me? I don't see any reason why you'd think I'd be-- " (Oh....) It was too late to bite back the question as she knew what the answer must be... nothing more or less than her grumpy reputation that had followed her all her twenty-two years.... and with good reason.  
  
"Well...." Wakka began, then hesitated.  
  
"Please...." Lulu's next move was an even greater suprise to Wakka... she placed one of her dainty hands on his arm as though in comfort or encouragement. Her unwavering gaze was upon him now. "...Go on."  
  
"Uh... you know what today is, ya?"  
  
"Oh...." Her fingers slipped off of him and hands folded in her lap. Wakka's heart sank as he looked at her now. The woman's gaze now rested upon the sand, head was bowed, and her raven hair was masking her expression from his sight.  
  
(Wakka, you're stupid... you shouldn't have brought it up to her.) Of course she knew what he meant, and Wakka felt like a jackass for bothering her about it. The last thing he wanted from this innocent conversation was for her to become even more closed up because he couldn't keep his damn mouth shut. "Geez, I'm sorry, Lu. I should have known better, ya? I just--"  
  
"It's okay." Wakka was cut off before he could finish. He watched Lulu's eyes as she lifted her pale face to stare out over the sparkling azure waves laid out before them. She had that faraway look in her eye again... it happened every time they spoke of him... without fail. "Chappu... he would have been twenty-two today."  
  
"Yeah... hard to believe it's been a year, ain't it?" He tenatively ventured further, a little surprised that Lulu was actually talking about it, even though that was his hopeful intention to begin with. His was a selfish wish... he had woken up this morning and the first thing that floated into his mind was Chappu. Time supposedly healed all wounds, or so it was said. This one was going to leave a perpetual scar, he knew... judging from how much it hurt, especially today. Wakka had gone to practice blitz alone this morning, despite his retirement from the sport, in a feeble attempt to get his mind off his late brother... but he should have known that would only remind him more, if anything. He now wanted nothing more than to share his feelings of bittersweet nostalgia with the one person that not only knew him best... but also his brother.  
  
"It is...." Lulu sighed. The mage usually brushed aside his efforts to talk about Chappu anymore, she found the whole thing rather pointless... but one glance at Wakka's face made something snap inside her. The man had a somewhat pained expression... so very un-Wakka-like. He looked as though he NEEDED her to speak with him. He was silent for a few moments, then...  
  
"...Lu?"  
  
"Hmm?"  
  
"...What's your fondest memory of him?"  
  
"I.... don't know," she answered truthfully. "...I remember many things." Wakka watched Lulu's face, noting nothing about her expression changed while she spoke, save for a brief flicker behind her eyes. Though his voice was thick with emotion right now, the mage's carefully maintained monotone reminded him of someone discussing nothing more important than the weather.  
  
(She's hiding her feelings again... why do you do this to yourself, Lu?) The blitzer furrowed his brow, wondering this. He never truly understood why Lulu was no longer open with him about her thoughts and feelings... she used to be so much closer to him... they were all so close. Wakka gently prodded again. "Like what?"  
  
Lulu's face raised to stare at him silently for a few minutes. Wakka felt as though her dark eyes, swimming with that lovely burgundy and brown color, were scrutinizing him as though looking for ulterior motives behind his innocent questions. (Why does she always gotta look suspicious like that?)  
  
"...I remember what I thought after... the three of us became friends," she said at last, her breathy voice wisping out and being carried off by the wind, barely audible.  
  
"What was that?"  
  
"I wondered why we had become friends in the first place."  
  
"Why?"  
  
"Think about it, Wakka... how is it that two young boys into blitzball become friends with a quiet little girl that spends all her days indoors studying black magic? I was rarely outside, and you were always swimming." This was stated as though it were the most obvious thing in the world. Wakka, however, had never put any thought into it. He just didn't spend all his time wondering the "why"of things, as Lulu did, but now she got him thinking about it.  
  
"Ooh... good point, ya? ...But that doesn't matter anymore now, does it? We DID become friends, so there's no point in wondering why anymore, ya know?"  
  
"That's an interesting take on it..." Lulu shrugged one bare shoulder. "I always felt... out of place with you and Chappu. Like I didn't belong on the same planet."  
  
"How come, Lu? You were the best thing that happened to us, ya? Me and Chappu woulda got into a lot more trouble if you weren't around to be our voice of reason." The last was said with a small chuckle.  
  
"Heh." The mage's lips quirked into an almost-smile. "I'm sure you didn't think so at the time... you boys always complained when I scolded you."  
  
"Ahh, you knew what was best though." He gave her that irresistable grin, and Lulu knew that at least Wakka was feeling somewhat better about the touchy topic of discussion. "But you know... the same could be said for you. Why'd you wanna befriend us, either?"  
  
"Well... " Lulu's fingertip traced a line in the fine grains of sand at her feet as though pondering it. "I suppose it was because I was captivated by blitzball at the time... you guys could play and I couldn't. It never ceased to amaze me how you and Chappu could hold your breath for that amount of time... it still does, actually," she said, cocking a brow at Wakka.  
  
"Eheh..." Wakka scratched the back of his head again. "You gotta remember, too... blitz requires a lot of communication, ya? Even though you're underwater, ya still gotta let your teammates know what you're gonna do. I don't know if you'd be good at that sort of thing...." He trailed off.  
  
She stared at him. "What is THAT supposed to mean?"  
  
(Uh-oh...) Lulu had gone into defensive mode and Wakka winced, afraid his big mouth had gotten him into trouble again. His expression turned as serious as hers and he gave her a meaningful look. "It's just that... I know you don't like to talk much... and you don't like to have to rely on others. Like on a blitz team."  
  
"I... see." For some reason, his words stung a little. Probably because they were true. People labeled her as 'stuck up,' and wrote her off from the start. That brought back a few painful memories. Wakka however, knew that she had always just been quiet, and eventually it had become a necessity for her. Even though he didn't fully understand it, he respected it. The mage's thoughts flickered back to their childhood when the temple priests would become exasperated with the young Lulu, scolding her for not playing with the other children. She had shown such fantastic magical prowess from such an early age, the girl wanted nothing more than to study and hone her skills. The other children in the village saw her as a know-it- all and a snob because she wouldn't associate with them, in favor of poring over spellbooks, but they never bothered finding out the truth. Her only friends then had been Wakka and Chappu... merely because they saw past the shy exterior of a lonely girl who missed her parents. They knew what it was like to be without them, too.  
  
Then when Chappu was lost to them, Wakka kept accusing eyes away from the mourning Lulu. They would say that it was time to move on... even after a year, she was still so distant. If she was still in so much grief, they figured she ought to be more receptive of their symathy, too... but this was always met with silence. She stared at Wakka, wondering why he was even there right now with her. Even when Wakka had given of himself to help Lulu through the ordeal, she would thank him with a cold shoulder and by snapping at him. He was truly a good friend... and ever so much more than that to be able to put up with her all this time. Lulu knew that he would have liked her to be more open with him, like she used to be... but she didn't dare. She was afraid of being close to Wakka. Yes, afraid. (Afraid? ....Why am I afraid, anyway?) She was surprising herself, now. Now that she thought about it, she was feeling rather strange anymore when Wakka was around. She didn't seem to have the heart to 'bully' him like she usually did, instead it was replaced by a nervous uneasiness.  
  
Lulu didn't have time to ponder this further. Several minutes must have passed while Lulu was caught up in her reverie, because Wakka's hand was suddenly waving in front of her face, much to her surprise. "Spira to Lulu!" She blinked and looked at him as though seeing him for the first time, a bit startled. "Hey, you okay? You looked like you kinda.. spaced out, ya?"  
  
"Sorry," came the slow reply. Perhaps a bit too slow. He attempted to read her expression, or what little expression there was on her face, but it was masked by her hair as she stared at her lap. Before Wakka could blink, Lulu had scrambled to her feet a bit hastily, her heavy skirts sprinking grains of sand on him as she rose. The black mage stooped to scoop up her stockings and boots from the ground, but rather than donning them, she began to make her way towards the path leading back to the village. The blitzer was left staring after her, wondering what he had done wrong now.  
  
"Wait, Lu!" Wakka got to his feet as well and began to chase after her, seeing that she was paying him no heed. When Lulu wasn't wearing her shoes, she sure could move fast. He wasn't able to catch up with her until she had nearly reached the village gates. "Wait, I said!" His hand shot out and got one of her slight wrists in a firm grip. Surprised as she struggled to free herself, he whirled her around to face him, a bit more forcefully than he had meant to. "What's gotten into you? You left me without a word!"  
  
"Let me go!" Her face turned away from him, her curtain of bangs veiling her face to his gaze again. Her voice had an odd note to it and Wakka realized he was gripping her a bit too tightly. As he released her wrist, he saw red marks where his fingers had been.  
  
"Oh, geez! I'm so sorry, Lu!" Panicked at what he had just done, he picked up the wrist again. Gently examining it, his fingers traced along the flesh. He either didn't know his own strength, or Lulu was very delicate. Likely a mixture of both. "You... okay?"  
  
A small sigh was heard from the mage as she stood there, a heavy silence hanging over them both. Fingers left her wrist and reached under her chin to tilt her head back gently so he could see the expression she was hiding from him. He felt a stab in his heart as he looked at her... she had a peculiar expression on her face. Was it... fear? He couldn't put his finger on it, whatever it was, but it wasn't good. That look he saw there behind her eyes bothered him. (Dammit... I got her upset again.)  
  
"I... I have to go home, Wakka." With that, Lulu backed away from him, giving him one last look, and turned on her heel. Wakka helplessly watched her take her leave, and her duck into her hut. He figured it was best not to bother her now, because he knew he must have been the cause of whatever mood she was in, right?  
  
"What have I done?" He brought a palm to his forehead, cursing his own insensitivity. He only now could imagine what it must have been like... to be upset by a painful discussion then being grabbed by a big oaf such as himself while trying to go be alone. Why had he done that? He just... grabbed her without thinking, as if letting her leave was the last thing in the world he wanted. ...Why?  
  
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Author's Note: Expect lots more drama and suspense in chapter two, along with some romance and other good stuff. It would make me very happy if you'd read and review, so get to it! 


	2. Desire?

Author's Note: About bloody time, eh? I'm sure anyone who has actually taken an interest in my little story thought I wasn't going to finish! Gomen, minna-san! I have been moving, which allowed little time for writing, and I'll admit my inspiration had been waning since the removal of NC-17 stories from this site. I had to change the rating... which I may eventually do again depending on where I take it, and I'm going to have to greatly modify my original plan of including some lemon, but I will upload the complete and uncut version elsewhere, hopefully. When that's done, I'll post the URL for anyone that would like to read it that way. Anyway, enough with my rambling! Here's the moment you've all been waiting for... or something. Watch out for a slight bit of sexual innuendo towards the end, and a brief part in the middle that I have added back in since I first posted this. You've been warned.  
  
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GUARDIAN ANGEL - Chapter Two: Desire?  
  
As Lulu ducked into the dim solitude that was her humble abode, she let out a deep breath which she had no idea she had been holding until that point. Holding up her wrist to the sliver of light that the open doorway let in, she examined Wakka's marks on her flesh. They were still there. The man certainly had a powerful grip... but they were fading already. (...Why did he do that?) She crossed the room quietly, the only sound to be heard coming from the small jingle emanating from the buckles of the various belts that decorated the front of her gown. She lowered her petite form into the old wooden chair which sat in front of her dressing table, suddenly feeling rather unsteady on her feet. Arms falling limp to her sides, fingers automatically let go of the boots and stockings she still held, letting them fall forgotten onto the floor.  
  
There was no use trying to figure out what was going on inside that man's head... she was having enough trouble figuring out what was going on inside her own head. Leaning forward, she allowed her forehead to rest on the edge of the table. She felt so odd right now.... the mage felt as immobile as one of her dolls right now, looking for it's puppetmaster so it could live. As if on cue, she felt a soft nudging at her foot. Looking down, her hard expression softened a little as she found her Cactuar plushie attempting to climb the grid-like terrain that the leather straps on her skirt presented. Lulu seemed as though she expected as much, as her dolls sprang to life with a mere thought from the black mage. Scooping the green doll into her arms, she settled back into her seat, stroking the pseudo-needles that adorned the top of it's head absent-mindedly. She did this often when she got lost in her thoughts, and lost she was, tumbling the whole mess around inside her mind.  
  
Thoughts of past, present, and future all visited her briefly in her meditative state... she couldn't stop them if she tried. She thought about what she had discussed with Wakka... their happy childhood growing up together. Days spent growing up with the two brothers and Yuna... those had made her so happy. So happy... she was able to forget how much she missed her parents. The mage found herself staring into her looking glass... she looked so very much now like how she remembered her mother when Sin came and took her and her father away.  
  
Then Lulu's thoughts turned to today's events... why had she fled during the conversation? What was it that was making her so uneasy around Wakka? Palm was brought to her head to massage her temple with a single fingertip, as though the action would help her focus on deciphering her own odd behavior. When the mage tried to come up with a reasonable excuse, all her thoughts were lost... in her mind, all she could see was Wakka smiling at her like he always did. That irresistable, little boy smile... the one that always managed to cheer her up in the foulest of moods, even though she never showed it... the one that made her feel warm inside. (That must be it...)  
  
Lulu didn't like emotions that she couldn't identify. This one topped them all as an enigma to the mage, and she expressed her distaste for it with a small sigh. If she couldn't identify it, she couldn't suppress it with all the rest. This was what she was afraid of... whatever it was. This warmth... it was making her uneasy around her lifelong friend, yet she couldn't even begin to imagine why. Same old calculating Lulu. Like a machine, she efficiently locked away any feeling that might pose a threat to her strong character. No weakness was allowed to sneak past the iron defenses of her will. Weakness meant risk to Yuna. Weakness meant risk to her already broken heart. This was no different. She must shove it away. Otherwise... how would it affect her attitude towards Wakka? She was already acting oddly.  
  
The discussion with Wakka... had left an imprint on her mind for the moment. This strange feeling coming over her... it felt so familiar... it reminded her of Chappu. Yet Chappu had nothing to do with it, she knew. (Chappu..). The man she'd never be able to see again, speak to again, or hold in her arms again... (...What am I doing?) The mage shook her head as though clearing it, immediately dismissing those nostalgic thoughts. What good would they do her now? With a groan, she realized she was behaving more like Wakka than herself, now... being a wistful sap.  
  
This was quickly becoming too much ponderment, even for her. With a slight gesture of her hand, the Cactuar hopped off the mage's lap and skittered off to one corner of the room to sit down and become just an ordinary doll once more. Raising herself slowly to her feet, she padded across the hut in her bare feet, only to seat herself again onto her bed. Letting out a heavy sigh, she lay down on her side, reclining her form across the mattress. Lulu's palm brought the pillow to rest against one ivory cheek, and the mage allowed her eyes to close. She suddenly felt so tired... physically and mentally, though it was only just past noon now. All the swirling thoughts blissfully came to a halt as she slipped into peaceful slumber.  
  
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(You are so dumb.) Wakka had told himself this for about the hundredth time, now. The blitzer felt such guilt as he had never felt... firstly because he had harmed a woman, secondly because he had harmed the one woman who was closest to his heart. (I hurt Lulu...) This played over and over in his mind uncontrollably. He had treated her harshly when he should have done exactly the opposite. Lulu had needed compassion and understanding about whatever was bothering her... and he hadn't been able to give it to her. He should have let her go from the start.  
  
After parting company with Lulu, Wakka had found his way back to the beach, as if it were programmed into his mind to do so. He did what he always did when he was troubled... he went for a swim. Yes, even the cheerful Wakka sometimes had his moments of feeling not-so, and this one was a big one. Wading out waist deep into the cerulean waves, he let his arms fall to his sides, feeling the water tickling between his fingers. The sun had reached a high point in the sky by this time, but the scorching rays never bothered him. Closing his eyes, the light beamed down on the man, warming his neck and shoulders. Like nature's own heat therapy, and he realized now that he seemed to need it. Wakka was very tense right now, but he didn't know how to make it go away. He didn't know how to make things all better with Lulu.  
  
This was killing him. He dipped himself down into the ocean, crouching on the bottom. The water was up to his neck now... it was as it submerging himself further would help him come up with a solution to his problems. Wakka let himself slip beneath the surface... the sand was soft as he rested his back on it. Only now did he open his eyes, becoming mesmerized at the light dancing around on the surface when he looked at it from it's underside. This was always how he had practiced holding his breath for blitzball... this act always brought a sense of serenity to the man in the process. He had shown Chappu how to do this... and he had soon adopted the practice, as well. He winced as his late brother came floating back into his mind again... he was always reminded of him during times like these. Eyes closed again as he helplessly remembered... the fact that it was his birthday didn't help.  
  
Chappu always had such a bright personality... everyone couldn't help but smile when he was around-- even Lulu. Wakka felt a pang of jealousy when he thought of this. He could never make her smile since he was gone... almost, but never quite there. (Dammit, Chappu... why'd you have to leave her alone? She's miserable... and standoffish... and there's not a damn thing I can do about it.) He could remember the thought that struck him the first time he had heard Lulu laugh... it reminded of him of how an angel might sound. That brought a small, wistful smile back onto Wakka's face... the strange things that came to him as a boy somewhat amused him now. Lulu's laughter... such bursts of amusement were a rare and precious thing, and it had been a long time since the three of them had joked together... he could barely remember what it sounded like.  
  
For several minutes the young man remained like this... thoughts of the black mage refused to leave his mind. How he might help her. What he was doing wrong. Why someone so beautiful became so cold and distant. Unanswerable questions swirled in his head, and yet the blitzer was brought back to reality by the need for oxygen that had suddenly sprung upon him. Hazel eyes were opened to the day once more as he rose up from the water and got to his sandaled feet. Standing there quietly for a moment as he took in grateful breaths... he was so lost in thought that he had forgotten to come up for air. Now having caught his breath, Wakka trudged out of the sea and stooped to pick up his forgotten blitzball. Making his way back to the village, he came to a realization. One conclusion came of this, he knew... if he was to get any answers... solve any of her problems... he had to go to the source. He had to speak with Lulu.  
  
He didn't know what he'd even say to her, but he had to try to get something out of her. The two of them had gone on far too long like this since Chappu's death, and Wakka wanted to break it. Needed to break it. He missed the Lulu he used to know. Yet, as he reached the entrance to her hut, he hesitated. What gave him the right to do anything at all about this? He had messed up. Big time. He couldn't think up any logical excuse why she should forgive him. Letting out a soft sigh, he knew that it was his own selfish desire to feel trusted by the mage. He wanted to make amends. (I'm gonna look like an ass doing this...) Swallowing his pride, he ducked into the hut.  
  
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In the dimness, she could only barely make out his shape from the rest of the room. Limited sense of sight only heightened her others. Closing her eyes made these all the more powerful. Feeling the heat of his body against hers. The soft rustling of writhing flesh on the sheets. The saltiness of his skin. The scent of their passion. All these intermingling into a powerful force within her body. Cradled in his strong arms, masculine voice whispered into her ear. "I love you, Lu." Hearing those words made her heart pound that much faster. Sighing contentedly, she curved her form closer into his own. Raven head rested upon his shoulder, longing to return the sentiment. Opening her gaze to her lover, her eyes now adjusted to the darkness. Before she could say it, the words died in her throat as she looked upon him. This... this was not Chappu. This was... "Wakka?!"  
  
As that name left her lips, the mage's eyes snapped open. (What the...?) She found herself breathing fast and coated in light perspiration. Blinking a few times, Lulu realized that she was in her bed, but... not alone. Eyes focused on the hulking form that sat next to her, whose hand was soothingly resting upon her brow. "I'm right here, Lu. You okay?"  
  
"Wakka, what are you doing here?!" Lulu shoved his hand away and the mage scrambled into a sitting position. Wakka looked taken aback, though her immediate response should have been expected.  
  
"I... uh... I came to check up on you... but you were asleep, ya? You looked like you were having a nightmare or somethin'. I just wanted to make sure... you know... that you were okay." In response the woman gave a suspiciously accusing glare.  
  
Rising to his feet, the blitzer scowled. Folding his arms, he gave a caustic response, sounding almost like the mage herself. "Hey, YOU called ME, ya? I came here to apologize again... what's with you?"  
  
Lulu scoffed. "I didn't call you."  
  
"Then whose name did you just cry out in your sleep, huh?" Silence. Wakka arched a brow at her, and it would not go unnoticed by Lulu that he held a rather smug expression on his visage now. A cat-like grin was beginning to spread across his face. The mage arched her own brow at this, wondering what in Spira was going on beneath that crazy hair-style.  
  
"What?!" Lulu demanded.  
  
The man shook his head with a knowing smile. "Oh, nothing, Lu. Nothing at all."  
  
It rather amused Wakka to think of why she might have called his name, but those typicially male, egotistical thoughts would remain unspoken to Lulu... but that would mean she hadn't had a nightmare. His expression melted into a passive one as he watched the mage fold her arms with a "hmph." Of course Lulu knew what was in his head... Wakka wasn't the hardest of people in Spira to read.  
  
The blitzer's lips curved into a slight frown to see her become even grumpier. His feeble attempt to cheer her up with his teasing had failed miserably. That was unusual... Lulu would normally shoot back with her sarcasm, almost like a game between the two of them... but not now. Whatever she did dream must have been very disturbing to Lulu, there was no doubt. His hand reached out and came to rest on her bare shoulder tenderly.  
  
"Hey, Lu... I'm sorry, ya? I came here to apologize and make you feel better, but it looks like I'm just making things worse."  
  
(Stupid, stupid, stupid!) Wakka mentally chastized himself for being the insensitive male that that it looked like he was doomed to be for the rest of his life. As Lulu lifted her head to gaze at him, that same look was there... that unreadable expression that had bothered him. The look that made his heart ache for her. The black mage didn't even appear that forlorn, but there was something about her...  
  
"I do feel a bit better," Lulu lied, shrugging his hand off of her. The mage's sight was locked onto her hands, refusing to meet his eyes. "Now could you please leave me so I can think?"  
  
Wakka gazed at her without moving. She was hiding something from him and he intended to find out what. Instead of complying, he dropped to one knee before her, so he was at her eye level as she sat on her bed. He had a very uncharacteristic serious expression on his face. "Lu... why don't you tell me the truth?"  
  
There was a surprise. Her head snapped up as she looked at him incredulously. She hadn't expected him to call her bluff so quickly, let alone at all. Lulu sat there frozen, staring into his eyes, and as much as she wanted to, she couldn't look away. How could she tell him what she felt? How could he possibly understand? Understand how confused she felt inside... how lonely she felt because no longer had Chappu, but yet she didn't feel as sad as she thought she should. Understand how horrible she felt... because she started to forget about him every time that Wakka was around? "I... I miss him, Wakka."  
  
It was all Wakka could do to keep from wincing. The lump that had climbed it's way into his throat was now stuck there, unable to find words to respond with. This was the most candid moment Lulu had shared with him in a long, long time. All he could do was place his palm back on her shoulder a bit more firmly, lifting the other hand to rest on the other shoulder, as well. Holding her there gently, he peered curiously into her face, trying to read the brief, uncharacteristic flicker of emotion that had graced her features. Glancing downward, he noted the mage's violet lacquered nails digging into her own thighs... as though mentally restraining herself from something she knew, and he didn't. "Lu... talk to me."  
  
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Author's Note: Well, how was that? Never you mind... They may be bickering like always here, but they shall get it together eventually, I promise. Gotta keep them in character, right? Heh. I know that was a bit shorter than the first, but I hope you enjoyed. Please review! 


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